Swiss cheese
Swiss cheese is a generic name in North America for several related varieties of cheese, mainly of North American manufacture, which resemble Emmental cheese, a yellow, medium-hard cheese that originated in the area around Emmental, in Switzerland. Some types of Swiss cheese have a distinctive appearance, as the blocks of the cheese are riddled with holes known as "eyes". Swiss cheese without eyes is known as "blind".The Nibble. Cheese Glossary. See the asterisked footnote at the very bottom of that page Thenibble.com (The term is applied to cheeses of this style made outside Switzerland, such as Jarlsberg cheese, which originates in Norway). Production Three types of bacteria are used in the production of Emmental cheese: [[Streptococcus thermophilus|''Streptococcus salivarius'' subspecies thermophilus]], Lactobacillus (Lactobacillus helveticus or [[Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus|''Lactobacillus delbrueckii'' subspecies bulgaricus]]), and Propionibacterium ([[Propionibacter shermani|''Propionibacterium freudenreichii'' subspecies shermani]]).Swiss Cheese Niche. Microbewiki.kenyon.edu In a late stage of cheese production, the propionibacteria consume the lactic acid excreted by the other bacteria and release acetate, propionic acid, and carbon dioxide gas. The carbon dioxide slowly forms the bubbles that develop the "eyes".A bacterium used in the production of Emmental. Genoscope. 16 January 2008. Genoscope.cns.fr. See the "Activities in cheese" section. The acetate and propionic acid give Swiss its nutty and sweet flavor.Making Swiss Cheese. David B. Fankhauser, PhD. Professor of Biology and Chemistry. University of Cincinnati Clermont College A hypothesis proposed by Swiss researchers in 2015 notes that particulate matter may also play a role in the holes' development and that modern sanitation eliminated debris such as hay dust in the milk played a role in reduced hole size in Swiss cheeses, or even "blind cheese".Swiss cheese hole mystery solved: It's all down to dirt. BBC (28 May 2015). Retrieved 31 May 2015. Historically, the holes were seen as a sign of imperfection and cheese makers originally tried to avoid them by pressing during production. In modern times, the holes have become an identifier of the cheese.Scientific American Cheese Story August 2010 Pg 33 In general, the larger the eyes in a Swiss cheese, the more pronounced its flavor because a longer fermentation period gives the bacteria more time to act.Swiss Cheese Niche. Microbewiki.kenyon.edu This poses a problem, however, because cheese with large eyes does not slice well and comes apart in mechanical slicers. As a result, industry regulators have limited the eye size by which Swiss cheese receives the Grade A stamp.Swiss Cheese.Professorshouse.com See the eighth paragraph. In 2014, 297.8 million pounds of Swiss cheese was reportedly produced in the United States. Varieties Baby Swiss and Lacy Swiss are two varieties of American Swiss cheeses. Both have small holes and a mild flavor. Baby Swiss is made from whole milk, and Lacy Swiss is made from low fat milk.Swiss Cheese. Recipetips.com Baby Swiss was developed in the mid-1960s outside of Charm, Ohio, by the Guggisberg Cheese Company, owned by Alfred Guggisberg. See also *American cheese *List of cheeses *Maasdam cheese *Swiss cheese features *Swiss Cheese Union References External links * Swiss Cheese Niche microbewiki.kenyon.edu * Making Swiss Cheese biology.clc.uc.edu Category:American cheeses Category:Cow's-milk cheeses